Myra's Story Returns to Trafalgar Theatre: The One-Woman Play That Has Raised Over £450,000 for Homeless Charities

Theatre has a long and proud history of sparking social change. George Bernard Shaw's Widowers' Houses shone a light on the squalid conditions created by Victorian slum landlords. Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart shifted public attitudes towards AIDS. Athol Fugard's The Island helped build international pressure against apartheid. Now, a remarkable one-woman show about homelessness is continuing that tradition, and it is heading back to the West End.

Myra's Story, written by Brian Foster and performed by Irish actor Fionna Hewitt-Twamley, returns to the Trafalgar Theatre this week. Over the past eight years, this extraordinary production has raised more than £450,000 for homeless charities, and Hewitt-Twamley has set her sights firmly on reaching the million-pound mark.

What Is Myra's Story About?

The play tells the fictional story of Myra McLaughlin, a middle-aged homeless alcoholic from Dublin. Through a single performer, audiences meet not just Myra but a total of 16 different characters in what is widely regarded as a tour de force of solo performance. The narrative traces Myra's life before, during, and beyond homelessness, painting a complete portrait of a woman who is far more than the circumstances in which she finds herself.

It is a production that blends comedy with deep emotional power. Hewitt-Twamley is quick to point out that the show entertains as much as it challenges. "There's plenty of comedy," she says, "but it's powerful too because one of the things we so often do when we see a homeless person is that we make judgements on the basis of what you see in front of you. What Myra's Story does is really tell her story, the ups and the downs, so that people see beyond the hat."

Changing Perceptions of Homelessness Through Theatre

While the fundraising total is impressive, Hewitt-Twamley believes the play's greatest impact lies in its ability to transform how audiences think about homelessness. Too often, she argues, people assume that those living on the streets have chosen to be there. Myra's Story pushes back against that assumption with quiet but devastating force.

"I am showing people the person behind the dirty woolly hat and showing that there was a life lived before and there is a possibility of a life beyond where a homeless person finds themselves at that moment," Hewitt-Twamley explains. "Myra is an ordinary person, and what happened to her can happen to almost anyone. Most of us are just a couple of paycheques away from the streets, and a lost job, a divorce, a death, or terrible grief can be all it takes to change the course of your life."

That message clearly resonates. After every performance, Hewitt-Twamley stays to talk with the audience about their perceptions. Over the years, the play's Facebook page has received thousands of messages from people sharing how the evening moved and changed them. Many describe carrying the experience out of the theatre and into their everyday interactions with people experiencing homelessness.

"Often the instinct is to turn your eyes away, but the play makes people look at the homeless and really see them because it tells the story behind that homelessness," she says. Her fundamental point is a simple one: if you don't know someone's story, you are not in a position to judge them.

An Actor's Extraordinary Commitment

Hewitt-Twamley's dedication to Myra's Story goes beyond what most performers would consider reasonable, and that is entirely the point. In a detail that speaks volumes about her commitment to authenticity, she has not washed the clothes she wears on stage once during the entire eight-year run. It is a small but telling choice that underlines the show's refusal to sanitise or romanticise the reality of life on the streets.

She knew from the moment she first read the script that she wanted to perform it. The role represents every actor's dream: 16 characters, a full emotional range, and the space to command a stage alone for an entire evening. But it was the play's potential to change hearts and minds that truly drew her in, and that sense of purpose has sustained her through hundreds of performances.

The Power of Theatre to Drive Social Change

The return of Myra's Story to the West End arrives at a moment when homelessness in the UK remains a pressing issue. Government figures show that rough sleeping has risen significantly over the past decade, and charities continue to report growing demand for their services. Against this backdrop, the play's combination of entertainment, emotional storytelling, and direct charitable impact feels particularly relevant.

Hewitt-Twamley also touches on the contentious debate around giving money directly to people on the streets. Some argue that a coin dropped in a cup will simply be spent on drugs or alcohol. She believes that greater understanding is needed about the nature of addiction and the complex circumstances that lead people to homelessness in the first place. The play does not preach or lecture. Instead, it invites empathy through storytelling, which is arguably the most powerful tool theatre has at its disposal.

The production sits within a rich tradition of socially conscious theatre that continues to thrive on London stages. From hard-hitting dramas to community-focused work, the West End and its surrounding theatres regularly prove that an evening in the auditorium can be about far more than escapism.

Should You Book Tickets for Myra's Story?

If you are looking for a theatrical experience that lingers long after the final bow, Myra's Story at the Trafalgar Theatre deserves serious consideration. It is a masterclass in solo performance, a deeply human story, and a production that has already demonstrated its capacity to change lives, both through the funds it raises and the perspectives it shifts.

With its combination of humour, heartbreak, and 16 vividly drawn characters brought to life by a single performer, the show offers something genuinely rare. Whether you are a regular theatregoer or someone who rarely visits the West End, this is a production built to reach everyone. And every ticket purchased contributes directly to helping those who, like Myra, have found themselves without a home.

For those who want their theatre to do something more than entertain, this is essential viewing.

Browse our full list of London shows to find your next booking, or explore what's on at the Trafalgar Theatre. You can also discover more plays currently running in the West End and read more theatre news and features on BritishTheatre.com.